Why butterflies have colored wings

By: Amanda Rigotti

Why butterflies have colored wings

By: Amanda Rigotti

The "why" story of how butterfly's got their color

Long, long ago, three thousand three hundred thirty- three years ago to be exact, before man roamed the earth,the butterfly's wings where white with no color. Butterfly was very sad because of this. All the other animals had a special talent, the loin had a pelt of shimmering gold, and the tiger, a flaming orange, while bird had a beautiful song. Butterfly was very jealous, for all the other animals had a talent, but she didn't. Butterfly thought to herself, I shall go to the highest mountain where the great god lives, the one who paints the sky every day and night, she thought. For if he can paint the sky that prettily, than he surely shall be able to give me a talent or at least paint my wings just as we'll as he paints the sky.

And so the next day butterfly flew up the mountain and called for Manhana, the god who paints the sky.

Manhana came down from a cloud."What do you want?", he asked. Butterfly told him that she wanted a talent like all the other animals, or at least a pair of beautiful wings like those of parrot's. Manhana said that all the talents had been taken from armadillo to zebra and that he had no talents left. The butterfly began to cry muttering,"life is so unfair." Manhana felt sorry for butterfly and decided to give her a gift, he realized it must be hard to maneuver through the air through the trees and so gave her the gift of grace. Butterfly thanked Manhana, and as she flew down the mountain all the animals leered at her gracefulness, she flew down the mountain as if she danced on the wind. Her friend cat whose stealthiness was known all around gave butterfly the upmost admiration for her grace. Butterfly became boastful and would dance in the town square saying,"don't I have the most splendid dance, a beautiful gift I have, don't I ?", She would dance in contests and always win and always her pride would grow. By this time everyone loved butterfly and she thought so high of herself she even gave dance lessons too. Crow though, was mad at butterfly, for she boasted too much. Crow decided she would teach butterfly a lesson. She invited butterfly over for tea, but as butterfly sat down crow yelled," you fool! Do other animals go boasting about their talent? No they don't! I had to learn this the hard way, for I was once smarter than owl but then I boasted about it, and Manhana took away my talent and my color!", Crow chased butterfly trying to bite her or maybe even eat her, for she was getting hungry. Butterfly scream and tried to fly away but crow caught her. Just as crow was going to eat butterfly. cat leaped from a bush and snatched butterfly from crow. Butterfly was badly wounded and her wings were covered in blood. Even though butterfly recovered the blood stained her wings forever and always remind her not to boast, for there is always one better than you.

Butterfly's decadents from now on have colored wings as a reminder not to boast.